Department of Animal Husbandry and Animal Wealth

Natural dietary antioxidants are extensively studied for their ability to protect cells from miscellaneous damages. Origanum majorana L., Lamiaceae, is a potent antioxidant. The effect of administration of O. majorana (volatile oil, alcoholic and aqueous extracts) on oral administration of lead acetate in the diet of mice at concentration 0.5% (W/W) for one month were studied by measuring serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea and creatinine, histopathological changes of the liver and kidney and genotoxicity including, rate of micronucleus and chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells. Mice were treated with the 3 different forms of O. majorana, one month before and maintained with lead acetate administration. The 3 forms of O. majorana induced a significant decrease in serum activities of transaminases (AST & ALT), ALP, urea and creatinine and improved the liver and kidney histology in comparison with lead acetate treated group. Alcoholic extracts of O. majorana significantly reduced the rate of micronucleus, number of aberrant cells and different kinds of chromosomal aberrations. Volatile oil extract significantly reduced the rate of micronucleus and chromosomal fragments. Aqueous extract and volatile oil also of O. majorana significantly reduced number of gaps, ring chromosome and stickiness. It could be concluded that O. majorana plays an important role in ameliorating liver and kidney functions and genotoxicity induced by lead toxicity.

Administration of permeability-glycoprotein (Pgp) inhibitors can modify the pharmacological properties or induce toxic effects of Pgp substrates. The effects of administration of ivermectin (anthelmentic drug, Pgp substrate), either alone or simultaneously with verapamil (Pgp inhibitor) on male fertility were studied by determining mounting behavior, epididymal spermatozoal analysis, weight and histopathological examination of male reproductive organs and cytogenetic evaluation of meiotic chromosome. The results revealed that administration of ivermectin once weekly for 8 weeks induced slight fertility disturbances. While, pre-treatment with verapamil disturbed male fertility through altering different sperm parameters and histological structure of reproductive organs. Cytogenetic study revealed partial effect of ivermectin on meiosis. Meanwhile, the combined treatment of ivermectin and verapamil induced stronger effects on germ cells, increased frequency of meiotic structural chromosomal aberrations and increased X-Y chromosomal dissociation, raising the attention to the genetic quality of mature sperm. We concluded that ivermectin has slight effects on male fertility, but when taken with verapamil induced adverse effects on meiosis and fertility.

Abstract: The effects of lead acetate in the diet (0.5% w/w) on reduced GSH, activity of phase II metabolizing enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), lipid peroxidation in liver homogenate and bone marrow chromosomes of mice simultaneously supplemented with powdered turmeric and myrrh for 8 weeks were investigated. Five groups of Swiss male albino mice, each of 30 mice, the first group received a basal diet and served as negative control, the second group received basal diet supplemented with lead acetate only and served as positive control. The other three groups received basal diet supplemented with lead acetate and 1% or 5% turmeric powder and 1% myrrh powder, respectively. Results revealed a significant decrease in the amount of GSH in all treated groups compared with negative control. Also, the activity of GSH S-transferase was significantly decreased in positive control compared with other groups. However, co-administration of the protective plants resulted in a significant increase in the activity of GST compared with both positive and negative control groups. Furthermore, lipid peroxidation was significantly increased in positive control alone, while cotreatment with the protective plants resulted in reduction in the level of lipid peroxidation by 31% and 49% in mice receiving 1% and 5% turmeric powder respectively and 45% in 1% myrrh treated when compared with their respective positive control group. Lead genotoxicity was confirmed through significant reduction in the number of dividing cells, increased total number of aberrant cells and increased frequency of chromosomal aberrations. Simultaneous treatment with these plants significantly reduced the genotoxicity induced by lead administration and the powerful protection was observed with 5% powdered turmeric. It may be concluded that turmeric and myrrh are useful herbal remedies, especially for controlling oxidative damages and genotoxicity induced by lead acetate intoxication.

The combination of the Kit W mutation and Kit S allele from Mus spretus leads to male hybrid sterility. The effects of other combinations between Kit W and Kit M from Mus m. molossinus or Kit N from Mus m. musculus on male reproductive ability were examined in this study. The Kit W /Kit M and Kit W /Kit N males were fertile and showed the normal pattern of spermatogenesis in most seminiferous tubules. There were two amino acid substitutions in the protein deduced from the cDNA sequence coded by the Kit M allele sequence and three in the Kit N allele compared with the protein from the + Kit allele of C57BL mice. These amino acid exchanges had no effect on the fertility of Kit W /Kit M and Kit W /Kit N males. Therefore, comparing the sequence data from cDNA coded by Kit M and Kit N alleles with that for the Kit S allele, we concluded that one or more amino acid exchanges in the extracellular domain would be the cause of male hybrid sterility in the Kit W /Kit S combination; these substitutions are Phe to Ser at position 72, Thr to Ala at 95, Ser to Arg at 101, Leu to Pro at 123, and Ile to Met at 1303.

Experiments in animals proved that P-glycoprotein (Pgp) forms a functional barrier between maternal and fetal blood circulation in the placenta, thus protecting the fetus from exposure to xenobiotics during pregnancy. In this study we aimed to demonstrate the effects of administration of ivermectin (anthelmentic drug, Pgp substrates), either alone or simultaneously with verapamil (Pgp inhibitor) in Wister rats on fetal development, maternal bone marrow for detection of micronuclei (MN), chromosomal aberrations and mitotic index (MI) and embryonic liver cells for cellular proliferation indicated by MI, and bleeding from umbilical vessels for detection of embryonic micronuclei (MN). The results revealed that administration of ivermectin or verapamil at 6th through 15th day of gestation did not significantly altered fetal development. While, co-administration of ivermectin and verapamil clearly disturbed fetal development as indicated from abnormal feto-maternal attachment and a significant decrease in fetal weights and numbers. Furthermore, co-administration of both drugs induced a significant increase in resorption sites, post-implantation loss and external, visceral and skeletal abnormalities. They also induced genotoxicity in both dam and embryonic cells indicated by reduced mitotic index, increased number of micronucleated erythrocytes in both, and increased different types of chromosomal aberrations in dam cells, while ivermectin alone show some genotoxic effect on somatic cells of dams and the embryos. Verapamil induced reduction of embryonic mitotic index. We concluded combined treatment of ivermectin and verapamil severely affect fetal genetic material and development and induced genotoxic effect in somatic cells of the dams.

Cancer Therapy Vol 4, 125-134, 2006. The protective effect of vitamin C on Azathioprine induced seminiferous tubular structural changes and cytogenetic toxicity in albino rats. Research Article. Fardous S. Karawya 1 and Abeer F. El-Nahas 2, *. ...

Cancer Therapy Vol 4, 125-134, 2006. The protective effect of vitamin C on Azathioprine induced seminiferous tubular structural changes and cytogenetic toxicity in albino rats. Research Article. Fardous S. Karawya 1 and Abeer F. El-Nahas 2, *. ...

Cancer Therapy Vol 4, 125-134, 2006. The protective effect of vitamin C on Azathioprine induced seminiferous tubular structural changes and cytogenetic toxicity in albino rats. Research Article. Fardous S. Karawya 1 and Abeer F. El-Nahas 2, *. ...

Genetic variability among four Egyptian sheep breeds (Barki, Rahmani, Ossimi and Romanov) were studied using both random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques. Sixteen random primers were used to amplify DNA fragments in these four sheep breeds. RAPD patterns with a level of polymorphism were detected among breeds. The results showed that the genetic similarity among these four breeds was as follows: 90% (Barki x Ossimi), 87% (Barki x Rahmani), 87% (Ossimi x Rahmani), 80% (Ossimi x Romanov), 80% (Rahmani x Romanov) and 74% (Barki x Romanov). However, the closer proximity or the highest genetic similarity was observed between Barki and Ossimi (90%), while the lowest was observed between Barki and Romanov (74%). On the other hand, the results of the RFLP for 18S rRNA gene technique showed that, no genetic variation were found among the four sheep breeds under study. Finding in this study confirms the phenotypic classification o...

Genetic variability among four Egyptian sheep breeds (Barki, Rahmani, Ossimi and Romanov) were studied using both random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques. Sixteen random primers were used to amplify DNA fragments in these four sheep breeds. RAPD patterns with a level of polymorphism were detected among breeds. The results showed that the genetic similarity among these four breeds was as follows: 90% (Barki x Ossimi), 87% (Barki x Rahmani), 87% (Ossimi x Rahmani), 80% (Ossimi x Romanov), 80% (Rahmani x Romanov) and 74% (Barki x Romanov). However, the closer proximity or the highest genetic similarity was observed between Barki and Ossimi (90%), while the lowest was observed between Barki and Romanov (74%). On the other hand, the results of the RFLP for 18S rRNA gene technique showed that, no genetic variation were found among the four sheep breeds under study. Finding in this study confirms the phenotypic classification o...

Genetic variability among four Egyptian sheep breeds (Barki, Rahmani, Ossimi and Romanov) were studied using both random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques. Sixteen random primers were used to amplify DNA fragments in these four sheep breeds. RAPD patterns with a level of polymorphism were detected among breeds. The results showed that the genetic similarity among these four breeds was as follows: 90% (Barki x Ossimi), 87% (Barki x Rahmani), 87% (Ossimi x Rahmani), 80% (Ossimi x Romanov), 80% (Rahmani x Romanov) and 74% (Barki x Romanov). However, the closer proximity or the highest genetic similarity was observed between Barki and Ossimi (90%), while the lowest was observed between Barki and Romanov (74%). On the other hand, the results of the RFLP for 18S rRNA gene technique showed that, no genetic variation were found among the four sheep breeds under study. Finding in this study confirms the phenotypic classification o...

The objectives of the present study were to screen for nucleotide polymorphism in GHR1 gene among the large and small body weights' Nile tilapia using DNA sequencing. Also, to compare the expression of some growth-related genes (GH, GHR1, IGF-1, MyoG, and MSTN) between variant weights in mono sex Nile tilapia using qRT-PCR. Molecular characterization of growth hormone receptor 1 (GHR1) gene revealed the presence of many SNPs among the large, and small-body weight fish, only two repeated SNPs were detected among the small body weight fish at the coding region within the gene at 2200 G>A, and the other one was at the 3`-untranslated region (2388 A>T). They can be used as a marker-assisted selection for culling of small size fish. Additionally, two SNPs at 2116 C>A and 2117 A>G reported in large body weight fish can be used as a marker for selection to increase body weight in Nile tilapia. The expression profiles of growth-related genes are variable between the small and large body weight fish. The expression of GH and MSTN genes increased in small body weight fish than large body weight. The GHR1 and MyoG gene expression significantly increased in fish of large body weight, suggesting their vital role in Nile tilapia growth. No variation in IGF-1 gene expression between the variant weights' fish was observed. We conclude that SNPs at GHR1 and increased its expression together with the MyoG gene in large size fish proposed them as candidate genes to be more evaluated for efficient growth breeding programs in Nile tilapia.